CBCF Health Summit and Playbook Target Inequities

As African Americans continue to face health disparities, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) works to combat the inequities through targeted work and action.

From the organization’s “Policy for the People: Health Equity Summit,” held in Washington, D.C. in May, to this year’s CBCF Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) – featuring panels and programming geared toward improving Black health – the foundation prioritizes promoting wellness as a step toward overall justice and equity.

“Together, we are equipping lawmakers, advocates, and changemakers with the tools they need to enact policies that move us closer to equity and justice for all,” said CBCF President and CEO Nicole Austin-Hillery during the May summit, which was held just as the foundation and Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released “Forward Together: Black Policy Playbook for an Equitable America.”

A roadmap for advancing racial equity across multiple policy areas, Austin-Hillery told participants that the new playbook is meant to connect research to action. 

The collaborative playbook identifies seven areas of focus, including health care access, education equity, voting rights, economic opportunity, workforce development, criminal legal system reform, and technology policy.

Each section includes evidence-based recommendations aimed at dismantling structural barriers.

Austin-Hillery described the collaboration with the Joint Center as “the power of partnership in advancing thoughtful, data-driven solutions to the complex challenges facing Black communities.”

Summit Combats Chronic Diseases, Promotes Preventive Care

The Policy for the People: Health Equity Summit, in May, furthered the organization’s commitment to promoting wellness, addressing inequities and combating chronic diseases for African Americans.

Held at Capitol Turnaround, the summit featured a health fair, breakout sessions, and an opening roundtable with Austin-Hillery, Joint Center President Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, CBCF Chair Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois (D).

The discussion centered on chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, as well as the ways affordability and access continue to limit care for Black families.

Rep. Robin Kelly told participants that chronic disease outcomes for Black communities reveal systemic injustice. She pointed to the need for greater investment in preventive care and for policies that remove cost barriers for lifesaving treatment, as well as more intentional engagement with community members to promote positive health outcomes.

“I think we need to work on changing health care so it’s community-based, not from the top down,” Kelly said, garnering a large applause from the crowd and her colleagues. “When you think about COVID, it was those trusted messengers, the people that were hired to navigate that really made the difference. And I think we need to go back to that – the people that are closest to the issue and listen to them to solve the problems.

Breakout sessions explored prescription drug costs, culturally competent care models, and the importance of building a more diverse healthcare workforce, while the health fair brought together providers and service organizations to connect directly with the community.

The release of the playbook alongside the summit created a unified push for reform, combining policy vision with community engagement. Both initiatives underscored that inequities in health, education, and economic opportunity are interconnected and require coordinated action.

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad explained the importance of linking the summit to the playbook. 

“The Joint Center and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation were founded to advance the social, political, and economic status of Black Americans, and this policy agenda and partnership furthers that promise,” he said. “We are honored to engage in this critical partnership between the Joint Center and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and we thank the additional partners who provided crucial input.”

As chair of the foundation, Sewell emphasized the importance of the playbook in combating inequities.

“Organizing and mobilizing is so critically important, speak up and fight back,” the Alabama congresswoman said. “And that’s why when you have this playbook, to have stats and numbers and figures to back up what you’re saying is so critically important.”

A Steadfast Commitment to Black Communities, Fighting Back 

Dr. Jonathan Cox, vice president of CBCF’s Center for Policy Analysis and Research, emphasized the importance of the playbook as it relates to challenges African Americans are facing nationwide.

 “This is a pivotal moment for Black Americans,” Cox asserted. “History has shown us that progress is often met with resistance. However, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that Black communities have the resources, rights, and opportunities to thrive.”

Amid cuts affecting Medicare and Medicaid with the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” this year’s CBCF ALC will feature several panels and activities promoting overall wellness for Black Americans.

“It’s important and timely that CBC Foundation addresses health equity during these times. As D.C.’s only elected pharmacist, I’m very concerned about the impact of 25,000 working-class Washingtonians being recently kicked off Medicaid,” Rep. Oye Owolewa, the District’s shadow representative, told The Informer. “I hope local and national leadership find ways to ensure every D.C. resident has access to affordable health care.” 

Sewell offered a call to action in the work toward true equity.

“I think all of us have a role to play. We as lawmakers must legislate where we can, mitigate where we can, develop policy where we can, but the most important is public sentiment,” she said during the May summit, encouraging people to speak out against injustices such as unequal access to care and other health disparities. “Never underestimate the power of sentiment.”